Volkswagen launches SmartDrive app for Android

The safety of drivers has become a big focus, and technology is assisting in that effort. This is why you see all the major carriers in the United States pushing their own don’t text and drive campaigns. So naturally, the car manufacturers have followed, providing their own innovations to coexist with mobile technology devices such as smartphones.

Volkswagen has just launched its own app called SmartDrive. This new app gives drivers essentially a personal assistant that is hooked up through Bluetooth connectivity. Drivers can sign in and sync their contacts and such by using their Google account. Once a persons phone is connected, the app can tell if they’re driving and track the trip. In addition SmartDrive includes a game element, such as earning awards and stickers for different tasks.

Other noteworthy features include the ability to tag passengers in your car and share the journey online, share your completed trip as a Smilecast (a short video that documents the journey), and track of your parked car. Some of these features may sound a little cheesy — but hey — it’s something you might want to use solely with close friends and family.

However, with phones like the Moto X and it’s drive mode feature, applications like this are becoming more obsolete. So VW isn’t the only company playing catch up with the rapid innovation happening with smartphones.

That said, anyone who is interested in testing the Volkswagen SmileDrive app can pluck it from the Google Play Store now. It works with any type of automobile.